Went for a balloon ride today! It was so beautiful! Besides getting up at 3:30 am, the rest of the experience was amazing.. nice breakfast before the flight, amazing views, great crew and captain.. even post flight champagne and cake! I was surprised at how many balloons were out today, I’d guestimate around 30, which I’m told is not very many. We were able to drop down into White Valley to see the rock formations from the top while the the sun came up over the landscape. The view from the sky really shows how the land formed and continues to erode.. breathtaking.

After the flight, Christine, Dorian and I went to Goreme to poke around. I got a few more pics of the rug shop and acquired some rug scraps to bring home with me for some sculptural ideas I want to work on. Ran into Mehmet in Goreme, had some Turkish coffee, and he offered to give a ride back to the village to avoid the bus transfers and long walk. When I got back to the village, I stopped into Mehmet Ali’s shop to try to figure out how to bring some carved wooden pieces (architectural trim and small pieces) home with me.. I’m trying to avoid shipping stuff, so I may buy another suitcase, since I only had a backpack coming here, to bring with me full of materials on the plane. Now, after a long nap and yummy dinner, I’m settled in for the evening to draw and work.